An Unlikely Champion
by ladyeire3
Summary: My vision of two lives brought together sooner and without Carlisle's intervention…


**Written for 30 days of Emmett**

**MONSTER A/N **

**Please note that I took time to go over…and over…and over the timeline in the case of Emmett and Rosalie. They were born in the same year and both lived during the depression. I have first hand accounts of the trying and difficult time via my grandmother. I've tried to stay very close to canon but feel I must mention that canon Rosalie and canon Emmett are the product of their years as vampires more than their years as humans. Emmett would still be kind and fun loving but probably not as boisterous and Rosalie would very likely NOT be the bitter woman she was in the books as there was nothing to force her hand in that direction.**

**I hope I did justice to this idea, which is courtesy of my dear and wonderful friend Aspenleaf. Thanks, love…YOU ARE AMAZING!**

**Thank you also to my deliriously wonderful beta, c. anna cullen. Sis, you do me the biggest honor by correcting my terrible punctuation and keeping my thoughts in order. You make me better on so many levels. Thanks!**

**Lastly, thank you to hmonster4, TheHeartOfLife, and AccioBourbon for organizing and pimping this idea. All three of you are simply amazing women, and positive forces in the fandom.**

* * *

Emmett Dale McCarty was a man of simple means. His needs had always been met by his God fearing parents, and he was brought up to be respectful. He was wise beyond his youthful appearance, realizing early that not all children being raised in the mountains were so fortunate as to have parents who truly loved them as his loved he and his sisters. His mother abhorred ignorance and taught all of her children to read, write, and calculate sums. Her father had been the head master of some prestigious school in Massachusetts before meeting her mother and moving them to the Great Smokey Mountains. While Emmett's scholarly aspirations were met in the cramped quarters of their small cabin, his survival skills were honed in the woods with his father. Yes, Emmett McCarty lived a somewhat charmed life, and he knew how very lucky he was.

When the Great Depression hit, he was 14 years old. His family, living largely off the land already, didn't feel its keen sting right away, but when they did he was forced into manhood, perhaps a bit before his time. His older sisters remained with their parents to help, but in his first year away, Tilly died of consumption and Martha was married off. He would never forgive himself for not being there when his family needed him, but they needed the money more.

For the span of nine months, he worked as a handyman at a bank in Gatlinburg. When it closed its doors, he moved further from his family to seek work doing whatever people needed. The rails had become his only transportation but he wasn't alone in those large, dark train cars. His affable and kind spirit drew people to him like children to a sweet treat. The men riding the rail with him, the people at the next stop wealthy enough to hire one or several of them, they all fell for his large eyes and deep dimples. Of course he knew full well that his looks helped in putting people at ease, and, if he wanted to work, he had to appeal to those senses in people.

As time wore on he found himself in Rochester, New York seeking out a friend of his old employer at the Gatlinburg bank. Mr. Alfred Hale was the manager of the Rochester Bank and Trust. He was also a stuffy sort of man who looked down his nose at those he felt beneath him. If Emmett had not been so tall, he was sure he would feel the weight of that particular stare himself. Nonetheless, he was given the job of tending to the bank's upkeep as well as Mr. Hale's lawn. It was a mind-numbing job but gave Emmett enough money to live on and still send some to his parents in Tennessee. He often recalled his last conversation with his parents before leaving.

"_Son, you are setting out on your first journey as a man, make us proud," his fathers said._

"_I'll do my best, Pa. I'll send money home every chance I get. You and Ma just take care of yourselves. I promise I'll make it home when things are looking up."_

"_Don't you worry about us, Emmett. We'll be just fine. Be sure you keep enough money to take care of yourself, too. Can't have you working your fingers to the bone and then not eating on top of it. Take our love with you and this." Emmett's mother handed him the small family bible and her treasured copy of __Robinson Crusoe__. _

"_Ma, I can't take these." Emmett protested._

"_Stuff and nonsense, boy. You will take them and think of us every time you look at them. Now, get on your way before it gets dark. There's a storm headed our way and I can't be worried about you getting caught in it."_

The only other thing he could remember from that brief moment was the enormity of the embraces they each gave him. It made him feel weightless and as though the entire world rested on his young shoulders.

Now, as he sought out the silver lining in the cloud of his life he could only think of two. The money helped his parents and, his arrangement with Mr. Hale put him in close proximity to the bank manager's daughter, Rosalie.

Rosalie Hale was the most beautiful woman Emmett had ever seen. He was all too aware that he was also not the only man that felt this way and seeing as how he was socially beneath her he felt lucky to be allowed a glimpse of her daily. He needed nothing more.

As days turned into weeks he proved his worth to the bank as well as the Hales personally. Not only did he tend their yard, but he helped fix anything that needed mending. It was just such an occasion that brought Miss Rosalie to Emmett on a beautiful spring afternoon.

"Mr. McCarty, could I bother you for some help, please? I've just noticed that the knob on the kitchen door has stopped turning, and I'm afraid Martha will shut herself out when she goes to the grocer's later."

"Of course, Miss Hale. Tell Martha to leave the door open and I'll be 'round in two shakes to sort it out."

Rosalie giggled at Emmett's use of such an odd metaphor.

"Two shakes of what, Mr. McCarty?"

Realizing that Rosalie had yet to leave his presence shocked Emmett to the point of asking her to restate her question.

"Come again, miss? And please, I prefer to go by Emmett. Mr. McCarty just seems too stuffy when my hands are covered in dirt and grease."

"I asked what you meant by 'two shakes'. I've never heard that saying. Actually I've never heard most of the rather humorous metaphors that come from you."

"Well, I meant that I would be there quickly. I suppose I'm just accustomed to hearing my pa use similar speech. I'd be happy to translate anytime you've a need for it, Miss Rose."

"Thank you, Mr...Emmett. I'll just go tell Martha you'll fix the door shortly."

With a tip of his hat he bid her goodbye and returned to cleaning the mess he'd made of his tools. He felt like a right giddy school-girl after his brief exchange with Miss Hale but couldn't bring himself to care enough to wipe the ridiculous smile from his face.

~EDM~

Time continued to turn and Emmett's life didn't alter much. Rosalie approached him quite often with odds and ends to fix and each time would quietly observe him at his job. They talked when prying eyes were otherwise occupied. On first glance, it would seem the two were as different as night and day but on the inside they were kindred souls. Both had a fiery passion for learning about anything that piqued their interest. Books were always a favorite subject of discussion, as were cars, astronomy, and baseball. Emmett never tired of their short discussions and her endless questions about the how to's of fixing things.

While working on a leaky sink one afternoon he couldn't help but overhear a conversation she was having with her only suitor, Royce King. He felt terrible about listening in but not quite enough to stop. He reckoned if they didn't want to be heard they probably should have closed the parlor door.

"Rosalie, as much as I would love to have dinner with your friend and her family I really can't. Father has set a meeting with the board for tonight, and I have to attend. Duties and all."

"It's fine, Royce. I understand. I hope you won't be opposed with me going alone then? I've missed Vera so very much and would love the chance to see her little boy again before we leave for our honeymoon."

"Of course I don't mind. Though I do hope you keep an eye on that handyman of yours. I don't like the way he looks at you, and I don't want him following you. As a matter of fact, I think I'll just go have a little talk with him now."

"Don't be ridiculous, darling. Emmett is harmless and really very helpful here. I wouldn't want you scaring him off. Now, why don't you take me for a stroll around the park before you leave?"

Once Emmett could no longer hear the muffled sound of their voices he let out a rather disgruntled "humph". How dare that dandy think _he_ could somehow be a danger to Rosalie? If anything Emmett was sure that _Mr. Royce King, II_ had plans of a rather sinister persuasion toward Rose. He had never liked the leering glances he gave her when he didn't think anyone was looking. As a matter of fact, everything about the man set Emmett on edge. He didn't like him but knew what he thought didn't matter a smidge as Royce was rich and the Hales were under the impression that quality breeding equaled a respectable, responsible person. How very wrong they were.

~EDM~

His walk home was always one of reflection. Reflection on the day that was nearly done, on where his life had led him, and the mysteries he had yet to solve. He lived a great deal of his life in his own head and was just beginning to realize how very lonely it was. What he wouldn't give for a family of his own when the world became more stable and he wasn't scraping by to support himself and his parents.

The thought of his parents reminded him that he really should send a long letter with his next paycheck. He had neglected telling them much about where he was just in case he wasn't there very long, but as it had been quite a long time, he felt they deserved to know what kept him busy and that it seemed likely he had found something of a permanent situation in Rochester.

So lost in his thoughts was he that he neglected to watch for oncoming foot traffic as he turned the next corner on his way to his boarding house.

"Oh, my goodness. You could at least watch…Emmett?"

The voice he had come to adore and hear nightly in his dreams filled his ears as he thought of the many excuses he should give to the stranger he had just barreled down.

"Miss Rosalie? I'm so sorry for running into you! Please forgive me? I was so lost in my thoughts that I stopped paying attention to where I was going. My feet seem to have some sort of homing beacon, and I rarely have to think of where I'm going on my way home. Are you all right? Do you need to sit down?"

The words continued to spill from his mouth as though he were regurgitating them, and his face flamed as he realized he had still not taken his hands off her shoulders. They had landed there reflexively when he ran into her. He quickly shut his mouth and dropped his hands like her shoulders were on fire before raising his eyes, still half closed, to look at her.

"I'm okay, Emmett. You scared me more than anything. Do you live around here?"

"A couple of blocks over still. I'm renting a room in Mrs. Sullivan's boarding house. Is it too improper to ask what you are doing out so late in the evening…and without a chaperone to make sure you get home safe?"

Her light laughter sent his head and heart into a nose-dive, and he felt the sensation all the way down to his toes. As well as other places that were even too improper to think about.

"No, it's not improper at all, and if you were anyone else I might actually be affronted. I'm on my way home from my friend Vera's house. Royce was originally supposed to be my companion tonight, but he had an important meeting to attend and couldn't make it. I assure you this stretch of sidewalk isn't dangerous, and I'm quite safe."

_I'll just bet he had something more important…like a floozy and a bottle of gin, _Emmett thought.

"Still, it's awfully dark, and I don't like the idea of you walking alone. Would you mind if I just accompanied you to your gate? It would help me rest easy this evening."

"I really don't want to keep you from your home, Emmett." Rosalie looked into his eyes and that same feeling her laughter gave him was suddenly amplified by one hundred.

"It's no bother for me and like I said, I won't be able to sleep well unless I know you're safe and sound in your own home."

"All right then. I'd very much appreciate your walking me home, Mr. McCarty."

"Lead the way, Miss Hale."

~EDM~

Emmett made good on his promise to write a nice long letter to his parents and sent it along with his normal monthly donation to them later that week. The action created a light, easy feeling in him and he hoped his mother would write back with news from the homestead and Gatlinburg soon. He longed to see the Smokey Mountains and hear his mother's melodious voice spin tale after tale in front of the fireplace. Simpler times would be a welcomed relief from the constant struggle currently taking up residence in his head.

As much as he knew he wasn't the sort of man the Hales or even Miss Rose would approve of, he couldn't help feeling a connection to her that ran deeper than her gloriously beautiful face. She was everything he could have ever imagined having in a partner but was destined to marry into the wealthiest family in town. He knew she really had no idea what her life would be like; Emmett was fairly certain all Royce was concerned with was having the most beautiful woman to call wife in front of company but would ignore her existence in private. He'd seen it and read about it and truly wished Rosalie would end up with a better existence than that.

He also knew that he had fallen in love with her spirit and intelligence long ago. He just hoped that one day there would be another woman like her who would be happy to marry a man of little means.

After a particularly tough day dealing with the planting of new shrubs at both the bank and the Hales, he returned to the boarding house to find a letter with familiar handwriting waiting for him. His father, a man of few words, had taken pen to paper and written him. He couldn't fathom why his father had written when it was his mother who took such great pleasure in the task.

_Dear Emmett,_

_I'm writing to thank you for the money you continue to send. It's always a help around here. I know you must be confused as to why I'm writing and not your mother. She's sick, son. Quite sick and I'm not sure the Good Lord plans to keep her here with us much longer. I'm not telling you this to make you feel guilty, but rather so you can prepare yourself for the day you receive news that she's gone. Pray for her safe delivery to Heaven and know that she is always thinking about you. Your letter was a great surprise for her and made her smile for an entire day. I think I benefited as much as she did from that smile._

_I know I don't say this much and that you're a grown man and might feel put out by it, but I love you, son. We both do, and we hope your life there in New York is full of learning experiences. Your mother said she hopes you're attending Sunday services regularly, and that she prays for you._

_I will try to write when there is a change in her health, but the doc says he doesn't expect she'll be around by fall. I'm not sure what I'll do without her. I'm not sure what any of us will do without her. _

_God bless you, son, and take care of yourself._

_Your Father,_

_Dale_

Emmett stared at the paper for the longest time trying to make sense of the words. His mother was a formidable woman, and he always assumed she would be around long after his father had passed. It seemed he was wrong and the heaviness of that thought brought tears of sorrow to his eyes. Manly or not, he cried. He cried for the impending loss of the first woman he had loved, no matter the nature of the love. He cried because he couldn't be there to see her face or kiss her cheek or hold her hand just one last time. He cried for his father whose heart he knew was breaking more every day. He cried for his own lack of a soul mate to share his grief with.

After allowing himself to wallow in the pits of despair for a few more minutes, he pulled himself up, put the letter away in his small wardrobe and took himself down to the kitchen for his nightly meal. He would pray every day for his mother. His only hope was that she wouldn't have to suffer long before she was taken; she of all people deserved to die quietly and painlessly.

~EDM~

A month later, Emmett received the letter he had been dreading. His mother was gone from the world, and he hadn't been there to say goodbye.

The morning after he learned of her passing he got up extra early and went to pray in the church near the Hale's home. He stayed for as long as he could, pondering the life his mother had led and the life she had wanted for him. He was resolved to make something of himself in her memory.

Rosalie noticed the lack of joviality in Emmett's demeanor when he arrived to mow and prune their yard later that morning.

"Emmett, I've noticed the spring in your step and your laughter has been missing recently. Is everything all right?"

"I've just received some news from back home, and I'm feeling a little lost. Don't you fret about me, Miss Rose. I'll be just fine."

"I'm sure you will, but I truly miss your wonderful sayings and lessons on how to fix things. Are you sure you don't need to talk about it?"

"I'm not sure it's appropriate for the help to unload their woes on the boss's daughter. Truly, I'll be fine," he said.

"Emmett, you are not just 'the help'. You are my friend, and if something is wrong then I want to be able to help in one way or another."

Her firm tone and stern look were nearly scary enough to make him apologize for not coming right to her with his problems. In truth, she reminded him a bit of his mother in that moment, a fact that prompted him to open his mouth and spill his heart.

"I've just received news that my mother has passed on and it's difficult because I didn't have the chance to tell her I love her one last time. I've been gone so long now that I can barely remember what she looked like, and I'm afraid her face will fade from my memory completely soon."

Rosalie stood stunned for a moment before she hurtled herself toward the mountain of a man in front of her. His soulful eyes and boyish face were wracked with a grief she had never known, and all she wanted to do in that moment was hug him until her arms burned from the exertion.

"Emmett, I am so very, very sorry for your loss. You know you can never forget your mother as long as she lives in your heart. I wish there was something more I could do for you. A hug and kind words seem wholly inadequate."

"It's more comfort than you could imagine Rosalie. Thank you for this…"

As Rose was preparing to respond to his heartfelt thanks, she felt a hand clamp down upon her shoulder…hard.

"Take your hands off of my fiancée, you backwoods brute." Royce's voice was tight with anger, and his hand flexed possessively and painfully on her shoulder.

"Royce! Let me go! I was merely hugging Emmett as a source of comfort. He learned today that his mother has passed."

"I don't care if his God damned leg is rotting off. He will not touch what is mine. EVER!"

"I'll just be going now, Miss Hale. Thank you for your kind words. It was incredibly helpful. Mr. King, I would never think of pushing myself onto Miss Hale or of touching what was not mine to touch. Good day to you both."

Emmett seethed just below the surface but knew if he let loose the fury that he felt toward that possessive ass in the house he would likely lose his job. The possibility of finding another job, and likely without the Hale's reference would be very low. No, he needed to calm down and pray Royce had gotten out his aggression with his words, so that he wouldn't try putting Emmett in a position that would insure his immediate removal from the property.

By the lunch hour, Emmett felt certain any conflict with Mr. King had passed. He was determined to stay the hell away from Rosalie for the remainder of the day as that would bring with it the possibility of another interaction with King. He threw himself into his work and finished just shortly before seven in the evening.

As with every other day, his walk was filled with reflections. Today, they all centered on his mother and his life in Tennessee. Remembering himself, he checked around corners though his brain was engaged in his thoughts. After nearly running Rosalie down, he was determined to watch where he was going, though he wouldn't have minded running into her again.

Just as he'd made it to the very same corner where he had bumped into her, he heard a muffled scream. Cautiously he looked around the corner and into an alley to find Royce and three other men circled around a tall, greasy man whose hands were ripping at a woman's coat.

He was thoroughly outnumbered but could not walk by knowing a woman was in danger and would likely be taken in the most violent way.

"Hey, what the hell do you think you're doing?" he yelled.

"Why, looky here, Rose! It's your little gardener, Mr. McCarty."

Rose? Rosalie was the woman being bound and disrobed in a dirty alley? Emmett felt his face flame with anger and his hands shook as he clenched them into fists.

"It would be wise to let her go now and walk away before I beat you all into unconsciousness."

Two of the men scoffed but turned to tell Royce they were leaving. There was mention about no "fine piece of ass" being worth a fight, no matter the odds.

_Good, two down. Two to go,_ Emmett thought as he rolled his head on his neck and shook his hands out. The life of a drifter during the depression had taught him how to take care of himself. Just as people always assumed he was of a simple mind because he was from the mountains of Tennessee, they also assumed he wouldn't know how to actually fight because he was nothing more than a handyman. Honestly, people had no idea the things he had been taught or learned from experience. He could most definitely handle himself in a fight.

"Well, gentlemen? Why not let the lady go about her business? She doesn't deserve whatever it is you are trying to give her."

"You know what, McCarty? I don't think it's any business of yours what I do with my fiancée. She's been teasing me with that sinful body and mouth for months, and I'm about to make sure that the cow is worth marrying before I actually go through with it. If you know what I mean. I just figured Bill here could join me in the fun."

Emmett noticed the other man, Bill, snake his hands to the front of Rosalie's dress and grope her breast over the material before ripping it away too. Her whimper shot to his heart as he watched her knees give out. She hung limply in Bill's arms as he felt Royce's fist connect with his jaw.

Lucky for him, Royce really was a dandy and the sting was short lived. Unlucky for Royce, he was hopping around screaming that his hand was broken. Emmett had a damned strong jaw. Dispatching the pansy, Royce with a quick uppercut and hard right hook to the abdomen he made his way over to the Bill character who had backed up and tightened his grip on Rosalie. He was also now holding a broken liquor bottle up in front of him, waving it around wildly.

"I swear I will kill her if you come any closer. I will! I'll do it!"

Emmett continued his path toward the pair until he saw the man dig the jagged edge of the glass into Rose's cheek. She yelped before passing out again.

"Just let her go, and we'll pretend like you were never here. Royce can take the fall for the both of you."

"Now why would I want to do that when I can walk away with this prime example of womanhood and show her a good time? You just stay there and she won't get hurt, you hear? STAY. THERE!"

As Bill yelled this, he made a fatal mistake. In trying to show his dominance and Emmett's helplessness he began caressing Rosalie's breast again but lost his grip on the bottle when her body began to slump heavily to the ground. It seemed he wasn't aware she was unconscious. As he lost his grip and the bottle fell, Emmett saw his opportunity to save the only woman besides his dead mother that he had ever felt anything for. He lunged at Bill, shoving his fist into the side of the man's face as he simultaneously wrapped his free arm around Rose. As gently as he could he lowered her to the ground before Bill could gather his wits. He then turned to face his opponent.

Fists made contact with skin and bone as they both fought to gain the upper hand. In the end that distinction went to Emmett as Bill and Royce had imbibed one too many bottles of cheap gin before coming upon Rose. Both men were lying on the ground, unable to move but still breathing as Emmett stooped to pick Rosalie up. He would have to visit the police as soon as he got her home and just hoped that they would believe his story. He was no fool, and he knew the influence the Kings had on the local constabulary.

For now, he would worry only about the beautiful and slightly damaged woman in his arms.

"Thank you, Emmett. You saved me," Rose whispered.

"You're welcome, Miss Rose. Hush now. I'm taking you home."

Rosalie continued to drift in and out of lucidity muttering impossibly random things. As Emmett neared her house, her arms tightened around his neck.

"I think I love you, Emmett."

And then she was gone again. Emmett knew not to put much faith in the ramblings of a clearly delusional woman but the thought that she might actually mean those words warmed his broken heart.

~EDM~

As Emmett sat in a hard wooden chair at the Hale's kitchen table, he pondered exactly what had happened in the two hours since he had arrived.

"_Mr. McCarty? Oh! Oh no! What happened?" Mrs. Hale sobbed as she spoke._

"_Miss Rosalie encountered some trouble on her way home this evening. I'm just glad I was on my way home and stopped things before they got very out of hand."_

_Mr. Hale walked into the room as Emmett was finishing his statement and demanded an explanation as well._

"_Mr. Hale, I'm not sure what I should tell you and would much rather wait until Miss Rose can give you her account, at which time I'll add what I know of the situation."_

"_Very well, but you will stay here until she is quite capable of talking."_

"_Yes, sir."_

_After half an hour of being patched up by Martha, Rosalie made her way into the parlor where Emmett and her father were waiting._

"_Martha said you wanted to know what happened, Father."_

"_Indeed I do, young lady. Who did this? Did Emmett here have anything to do with your state?"_

"_No, Father. I fear you won't believe me when I tell you who did do this to me. Before I continue though, you should know that Emmett saved my life tonight. He was quite brave and fearsome." She smiled weakly at Emmett before straightening her shoulders and continuing._

"_I was on my way home from Vera's, and I ran into Royce and some other men I'm not acquainted with. He called me over and began introductions. I could smell the liquor on his breath, and it made me uneasy. As I tried to pry him away and convince him to go home, he grabbed me and threw me to another man who began…he started…he…" She broke down in tears and gasping sobs as she tried to continue relaying the part of the story she remembered._

"_At what point did you happen upon them, Mr. McCarty?" Mr. Hale asked._

"_It was just as Bill, the man she was thrown to, began ripping her coat and dress. I had no idea it was her initially, sir. I was raised to protect women and those weaker than myself so I'd intended to come to the woman's aid no matter who she was."_

_Emmett picked up where Rosalie left off in the tale. As his last words rang out in the room the only other thing you could hear was the ticking of the grandfather clock in the foyer._

"_I'm sending for the police and I'd like you both to tell them what you just told me. I'm also sending for Mr. King's father. He should be here to hear the accusations. Emmett, I'm sorry for fearing the worst of you, and I thank you greatly for protecting my daughter. I promise to stand behind you and against any assertions the Kings try to level on you. You're a good man and deserve good things. I will not let you suffer an injustice at their hands."_

After nearly two hours, they were still going over everything with the Kings and the police. After another hour of sitting stiffly in the kitchen, Martha came in to invite Emmett into the parlor.

As he entered, there was only Mr. King and Mr. Hale in attendance. It immediately put him on edge. Though Mr. Hale had promised to stand by him, he knew the elder King's influence reached far and wide. Emmett doubted he would stand a chance if this were to go the way he feared it now would.

"Mr. McCarty, please have a seat." Mr. Hale waved his hand in the direction of the only available chair as Mr. King stood.

"Mr. McCarty, let me tell you first how upset this whole situation makes me. Royce has had several encounters with the authorities in the last year, and I fear this will not be the last unless I take matters into my own hands. I have offered Mr. Hale a large settlement to keep this quiet, so that I can get Royce straightened out without legal proceedings looming over my head. I understand you are under his employ and have been a respectable, responsible young man the entire time. I can only wish my son would follow such an example rather than trying to belittle and beat you down. In light of everything that has happened, I am quite willing to also offer you a small settlement for your silence on the matter. I hate to use my influence, but if you choose to deny my offer then I will have no recourse but to pursue legal matters against you. I will above all protect my name, even if I have a son so undeserving of it." The gleam in the old man's eyes was eerie and unsettling. He was threatening to pin this all on Emmett if he refused the offer, know it would force his hand. Emmett also realized Mr. King was under the impression he was unintelligent enough not to ask questions. He figured now was as good a time as any to put that notion to rest.

"Very well, Mr. King, but I have conditions. First, the amount of money will be disclosed and agreed upon before I will make any such agreement. Second, if Royce so much as steps within earshot of Miss Rosalie I will not hesitate to make him regret it. I will also not be held responsible if he is hurt after tonight's tussle or any others in the foreseeable future. All of this will be in writing, signed, witnessed, and copied for all parties involved. Once that is done, I will uphold my end of the bargain and not speak of this matter again."

The stunned look on Mr. King's face told Emmett all he needed to know. He did indeed think he was making a deal with an ignorant backwoods boy when he was actually dealing with a man as savvy as any businessman he had ever known.

"I will have the papers drawn up tomorrow morning and will bring them here myself. The amount I had considered was twenty five thousand dollars. A fair price to pay a man of no money for his silence."

"It would be a fair price for a poor man with no thought of the future, but I've a family in Tennessee that needs help, and I'd like to have a home here and continue my education. I've a mind to become a business man, maybe even a lawyer. I'd say you have the means to at least double that and still not feel any lighter."

"FIFTY THOUSAND DOLLARS? You must be insane. You are in no way capable of making this kind of negotiation when I could very well drag you through hell with a simple phone call!" Mr. King railed.

Mr. Hale interrupted his tirade with a suggestion that strongly resembled a warning.

"I think you would be wise to take this settlement offer, Mr. King. I've already contacted my friend, the Mayor, on the off chance you decided to try something like this. He has agreed to say nothing unless he is called. You see, he's been having you watched and has noticed some rather…shady dealings after hours at your office. I think it in your best interest to not incite his anger, don't you?"

"Well…I never! Fine, fifty thousand it is. I suppose you'll be looking for more now yourself, Mr. Hale?"

"Oh no. I'm quite content with what you've offered. You see, I never trusted the market, and so I've saved every cent I've earned. This leaves me quite capable of continuing to live as I always have. What you offered will merely help inflate my savings a bit."

The following morning Mr. King arrived, lawyer in tow, with the paperwork and a check written out to Emmett. Emmett took his time reading over the document to make sure nothing was slipped in that would compromise his life in any way, and when he was quite satisfied with everything he signed the paper and hoped he was doing the right thing. He knew if he refused not only would Royce Jr. not go to jail or be held any more accountable than he would be now, but Emmett himself might actually be incarcerated for something he didn't do and he'd have no recourse to fix it.

As King and his entourage left the Hale's home, Mr. Hale turned to Emmett with a questioning look.

"I'm not quite sure how to broach this topic, but I feel as though you are something of a son to me. Especially after this debacle. I feel the need to help you protect your new wealth, Emmett. Would you allow me to help you open an account at the bank? We can transfer or wire money to your father as well, I know you said he depends on your help now. Would you let me help you?"

"I think I'd really appreciate that. I'm still not sure I like the idea of putting it all in the bank, with everything that's happened, but I trust you."

"Thank you for that, Emmett. I will protect your money as though it were my own. I promise nothing will happen to it."

~EDM~

Even with his new found wealth, Emmett continued working for Mr. Hale, who worked around his new schedule willingly. As soon as his new bank account was set up and things calmed down, he enrolled in the University of Rochester's School of Business and got to work learning all the things he'd always wanted to. It was exhilarating.

After several months and daily talks with Rosalie, he asked if he could court her, to which she gave a shy yes before hugging him fiercely. Of course he asked her father first, afraid he would be turned down because of his lack of proper breeding and societal influence.

"_Sir, I'd like to ask your permission to court Miss Rosalie. I realize I'm no one's first choice but I've an affection for her that can only be described as love, and I would treat her right for the rest of our lives. I think she feels the same toward me as well."_

"_Please sit, Emmett. Now, I realize that our first choice of suitor and husband for our daughter was a young man of some influence but we all know where that got us, no? In light of that I would be happy to see her loved the way I love her mother. You are plenty capable of supporting her, if it comes to that and I have every faith that you will finish your schooling and do great things in life. You're a good man, Emmett McCarty, and for all our despicable social aspirations in the past I am truly sorry. Yes, I give you permission to court my daughter." _

Their courtship was of a respectable duration and the day he presented her with a token of his affections and commitment there was no hesitation in her answer.

They were married the following autumn amongst falling leaves and friends alike. Emmett was even able to send for his father, always wishing his mother had been able to live long enough to see his happiness and meet his bride.

Rosalie's parents had saved almost her entire life for her wedding. They refused to let Emmett pay for anything and sent them to the Catskills for two weeks. They figured Emmett had enough on his hands with trying to arrange for his absence from the university and securing them a home of their own.

He secured purchase on a house not far from her family's that afforded them plenty of room to grow while still being modest. Rosalie agreed wholeheartedly and they arranged for furnishings and the like to be delivered and set up while they were learning their way around one another's bodies over their two weeks away.

It was a marvelous honeymoon. He now knew his wife's body as well as his own and reveled in that knowledge. She was anything but a shy lover and that thrilled him. They were a perfect fit.

~EDM~

Five years later

"Charlotte Mae McCarty, get your fanny out of that tree this instant! I swear, her heathen ways are all your fault, Emmett. She climbs like a monkey and is more at home in the dirt and her dungarees than a dress."

Emmett laughed at his wife's outburst as she continued to ramble on and putter around their kitchen in all her swollen bellied glory.

"If this one comes out swinging it wouldn't surprise me in the least." She laughed.

"I'm sure at least one of our children will be civilized enough to stay clean for more than an hour at a time, dear. It's not like Charlotte had the best role model in Robert. He's all boy and just expects her to follow his lead."

Both husband and wife looked out their kitchen window, their combined gaze falling on the little boy with blond curly hair and deep set dimples and the little girl with dark brown hair and the bluest of eyes. They were a family rich in love and full of potential.

"I'm so glad you found me, love. I don't know where I would be without you. I have everything I always knew I wanted and a few things I didn't know were important. I shudder to think what would have happened to me that night all those years ago in that alley. You were and still are my hero."

"I've never been happier to have a bruised face and cracked ribs in my life, Rosie. In saving you, I saved myself. You and those kids are all the life I've ever wanted. Now, how about you show your hero how much you appreciate his crime fighting before the kids come in for lunch?" Emmett wiggled his eyebrows in a suggestive manner, causing Rose to laugh hysterically before grabbing his hand and leading him to their room. Their children continued to play outside, completely unaware of the passion and love being exchanged behind closed doors.

Theirs was a life that could have gone completely wrong and ended far too early. Instead the bump they hit led them down the road of a life uninterrupted by pain and heartache to a happy home, with happy, beautiful children, grandchildren and peaceful ends in one another's arms.

The End

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